The work isn't new, but the recognition is: 2026 is the International Year of the Woman Farmer

For generations, women farmers have balanced finances, raised children, worked off the farm, cared for animals and land, built businesses, led operations and helped shape the decisions that keep family farms moving forward. Yet those contributions weren't always recognized as leadership.

On October 15, International Day of Rural Women shines a light on the vital role women play in strengthening rural communities. In 2026, that recognition takes on added significance as the United Nations marks the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

It’s not the work that has changed, but rather how it’s recognized, described and valued.

For Alicia King, a seventh-generation farmer from Antigonish, Nova Scotia, that's one reason the International Year of the Woman Farmer matters. It provides an opportunity to acknowledge how women make Canadian agriculture stronger through their leadership, innovation, resilience and a deep commitment to their farms, families and communities.

Growing up, Alicia was surrounded by women who made significant contributions to agriculture. Her mother worked in health care while helping on the farm. She watched other women balance off-farm careers, family responsibilities and farm work while helping shape important decisions behind the scenes. Alicia sees those women differently today than she did at the time.

"They were leaders. We just didn't necessarily call it that," she said.

Alicia and her husband Dany operate Six Maples Farm, a diversified beef, sheep, chicken and egg operation. After purchasing the farm in 2015, they transformed what had been a part-time operation into a full-time business. They expanded livestock production, invested in direct marketing and created more stable year-round revenue streams.

As an FCC customer, Alicia reflects the entrepreneurial spirit FCC sees across Canadian agriculture: producers continuously adapting, investing and planning for the future while balancing the day-to-day realities of the business.

Like many farm families, they adapted as circumstances changed.

Yet while discussing the evolution of the farm, Alicia repeatedly returned to something beyond the operation itself: perception. She noted that women are often deeply involved in farm planning, approvals, financing and business decisions, even when others don’t immediately recognize them as decision-makers.

Those responsibilities may seem obvious to the families living with them every day. But historically, women in agriculture were often viewed through a narrower lens: the caregiver, the organizer, the bookkeeper, the person keeping everything together behind the scenes.

Today, women are increasingly visible as owners, operators, employers, innovators and industry advocates. In reality, many have been filling those roles for decades.

"I think when you're younger, you associate leadership with titles," Alicia said. Looking back, Alicia recognizes those women as leaders, even if that wasn’t always the language used to describe them at the time.

In addition to operating Six Maples Farm, Alicia serves as president of the Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture, is a member of Lochaber Growers Co-op and advocates for producers across the province. Yet she’s quick to point out that leadership often exists alongside a long list of competing priorities.

Family, farm, community and industry commitments often compete for the same time and attention.

When asked what some may not fully appreciate about her work, Alicia focuses not just on accomplishments, but on the support system behind them.

"My team is my family, my community (other volunteers) and staff at the federation level. I also have had to be willing to accept help and know that I can't do it alone."

She points to learning how to delegate as one of the most important lessons of her career.

"The most impactful decision I would say is learning how to delegate and to be OK with telling someone, 'My plate is full'. I often say, ask again, because I want to when I can give 100 per cent."

That perspective was reflected in an unexpected way when Alicia's children were asked a simple question: What does Mom do?

None of them gave the same answer.

One described a farmer and educator. Another cited her ability to support her family while managing countless responsibilities. Alicia’s oldest daughter pointed out that what her mom does is tough to sum up, but that she wakes up every morning and gives it her best. And another put it simply, "Mom stands behind her people and community." Together, their responses painted a picture that extended far beyond any title or job description.

For Alicia, that picture reflects a reality many women in agriculture know well:

The work isn't new. We're simply getting better at recognizing it.